The Christmas Party
by detkatebeckett
Summary: Castle cracks Beckett's emotional shell.
1. The Party

**A/N: I'm sorry this is so long, but I couldn't break it up, I felt it needed to happen all at once. Reviews are greatly appreciated! Thanks!**

It was December 23 and that night, the precinct was holding its annual Christmas party. Everyone was required to wear either red or green and bring one item for the party. Even though Castle technically didn't work at the precinct, he was still invited because he had become part of the family. Everyone was there glowing in various shades of red and green. Everyone that is except for Beckett, which was odd because she's never late for anything. No one really seemed to notice her delayed appearance except for Castle.

The elevator doors opened and there she was. She ran a hand through her luscious locks as she stepped out of the elevator. She was wearing a skin tight, short-sleeved, red dress that came down to less than halfway between her hip and knee. It hugged her figure perfectly. Accompanying this outfit was a pair of black 5 inch heels that gave her the stature of a goddess. Her hair slowly floated up and down as she made her way towards everyone. Castle of course was the only one to notice the magnitude of her entrance.

However, despite her omnipotent beauty, there was something different about her. She smiled as she approached Lanie, but it was weakened, it was empty. But once again, only Castle noticed.

She laughed, it was a sound he loved. It usually enraptured him, but now it seemed forced. Something was wrong.

Castle had been talking to Ryan, Esposito, and the Captain, but lost interest the moment Beckett entered the room. The men noticed, but chose not to say anything.

Beckett made her way towards the group of men. Castle's chest tightened and heart pounded. He was madly in love with Katherine Beckett, but was in no position to reveal it to anyone.

"Hey guys," Beckett said with a smile.

"Woah, chica, you look great!" Esposito said raising his eyebrows up and down.

"Imma smack you!" Lanie said, playfully hitting Esposito's shoulder.

They all laughed. They talked for a few minutes, but almost as if planned, everyone moved on to talk to other people, leaving Castle and Beckett alone.

He stared deep into her green eyes with his charming smile. She smiled half-heartedly at him. She felt a tightening in her stomach. The way he looked at her make her heart beat faster. She felt her cheeks flood with heat. Her smile faded and her eyes widened slightly in shock at her reaction to a simple smile. Then she returned to the solemn look she sported earlier, but tried to quickly cover it up. She could tell he was reading her.

Castle's brow furrowed. "Hey," he said in almost a whisper.

"Hey," she smiled weakly.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

Beckett stared at the floor and swallowed. "Yeah, everything's fine," she said quickly and softly. She looked up at him and tried to cover everything up with her dazzling smile.

Her cover up did work, momentarily. Her smile made Castle forget his own name. Once he recovered from her smile, he remembered what the basis of the conversation was and asked, "Are you sure? You seem a little off tonight."

Beckett knew that her "cover was blown." She had to leave before Castle got even deeper into her conscious, but she couldn't leave, she just got there 10 minutes ago. Her eyes became moist at the thought of what had happened earlier that day. She had to thwart this conversation.

"I'm fine, Castle, really," she said again with a weakened smile.

_One hour later…_

To put it simply, eggnog was a very popular drink that night. Everyone, had quite a few glasses except for Beckett. She slowly enjoyed a single glass, while watching the eggnog's potency take its effect on her colleagues/friends. Castle also, managed to control his intake. As amusing as it was to watch Ryan and Esposito play eggnog-pong, a game she never even knew existed, Beckett wasn't enjoying herself. It wasn't for a lack of trying either. She really tried to have a good time, but she was too hurt, emotionally, to do so. To make things worse, she felt Castle's heavy gaze the entire night. She hadn't convinced him earlier, and it just reminded her of the reason why she was trying to avoid him and that just brought up the emotions she was trying to hide. She didn't know how much longer she was going to be able to hold it in.

When she thought she had found the opportune time when no one was paying attention, she slipped away and stepped in the elevator. She pressed the button to take her to the garage floor. The elevator doors began to close and Beckett stared at the ground, but when they were a mere inch from one another, a hand squeezed its way through, causing the doors to open back up. Beckett looked up, only to see Castle step into the elevator and press the "close doors" button.

"Castle, p-" Beckett began.

"Kate, what's wrong?"he asked softly as the elevator began its descent.

Beckett swallowed and stared at the elevator doors, "Castle, there's nothing to talk-," she began again, staring into his eyes.

"Damn it, Kate," Castle yelled, slamming the emergency stop button. Beckett jumped at the slam of the button. The elevator stopped.

"Kate, I'm sick of you bottling up your emotions! Could you just say what's bothering you instead of having everyone around you walk on eggshells until you decide that everything can return to normal?" he scoured.

Beckett's eye widened with anger. Not so much anger at Castle yelling at him, but more anger towards the truthfulness of his words. She wanted to scream back at him, but she couldn't. She let everything go and instead of harsh, loud words coming out of her mouth, tears began running down her face. Castle watched the tears racing to fall, to see which could reach her jawbone quicker. She shook as her sobs grew. Castle was taken aback. He had never seen Beckett so raw with emotion before. He wasn't quite sure what to do, so he settled for a hug.

He put his big, strong arms around her tiny frame and held her. She put her arms around his waist and cried into his chest. His shirt, drenched in her tears. He soothed her and let her spill everything.

After her sobs calmed, she whispered, "Josh broke up with me this afternoon."

Castle heart fluttered at what she just said.

"_He_ broke up with _you_?" he asked in surprise that the roles hadn't been reversed.

Castle's arms moved around her waist as she pulled back slightly to look up at him and nod, all the while never losing contact.

He looked into her eyes. They were even greener, soaked in her tears. She looked so beautiful even when she was an emotional wreck. She was so vulnerable. She had no idea how much he appreciated the fact that she "revealed" herself to him. She let him in.

"Why did _he_ break up with _you_?" Castle asked.

"It doesn't matter why-" Beckett began.

"Kate," Castle insisted.

She broke the eye contact and stared at Castle's chest. "He broke up with me," she smiled," Because I was too obsessed with my job," she laughed at the ridiculousness of what her ex had said.

"_You're_ obsessed with _your_ job? He's never here! He's always in some foreign country saving the world!" Castle exclaimed.

"I know, but it's deeper than that, and it's true that I was never here when he was either," Beckett admitted.

"Kate, you and I both know that you have put your all into this relationship and he's the one responsible for the distance in it."

Beckett nodded in agreement as she rested her head on Castle's chest. Castle pulled her in closer. He sensed that that wasn't all she had to say.

"What else?" he asked.

Beckett took in a deep breath as she lifted her head from his chest and stared at it.

"He said…he said I was obsessed with my job because of you. He said I was in love with you" She looked up at him. Castle didn't respond, knowing that if he said the wrong thing, he'd lose her forever. He moved his hands up and down her back, in an effort to comfort her.

"And how did you feel about that?" he whispered.

After a few moments, "I-I-I….agreed," she looked back at his chest. She couldn't believe she was saying these things. Right then and there, thoughts flew through her mind. She thought of the countless times he brought her coffee, the countless times he'd saved her, the countless times he had comforted her about her mother's murder, the countless times he had been the person to confide in, the time they kissed, the time they were stuck in the freezer, and she came to a realization. He was always there for her, he cared about her. She came to the realization that she was in love with Richard Castle, and he reciprocated those feelings.

Castle couldn't believe it. He had just torn down the walls around her heart that she had spent the last three years building. He cracked her shell. She just admitted that she loved him. It was the thing that had waited the longest to hear. He put a hand on the nape of her neck and wrapped his hands in her hair. He pulled her in and gave her a long, deep kiss. She melted in his arms. He arms moved up and brushed through his hair.

Then, after what seemed like an eternity, the kiss ended, but they held their embrace. They smiled.


	2. In The Spirit

The next morning…(the morning of Christmas Eve.)

"I'm going to miss you two," Castle said. His hair stuck up in all different ddirections and he was still in his pajamas.

"Oh please, Dad, we're not even gone for the week!" Alexis replied.

"I know, but it's going to be our first Christmas apart."

"Oh Richard, Alexis and I will be sure to call you the minute we wake up on Christmas morning," Martha added.

"Will you be okay by yourself?" asked Alexis, sarcastically.

Castle pouted. "I think so," he smiled. He hugged opened his arms and hugged his two ladies.

"Bye, Dad!"

"Goodbye, Richard!"

"Bye, you two, have fun!" he smiled.

Castle opened the door to let them out. Just as he pulled the door opened to its extent, his smile changed to a surprised expression. He saw Beckett standing with her fist up, preparing to knock on the door. Her hair flowed over her shoulders and she sported a long black trenchcoat along with a pair of black, 4-inch heels.

"Kate, what are you doing here?" he asked. Martha and Alexis stood and watched from behnd Castle.

Beckett could tell that she was interrupting a somewhat familial moment and said, "Oh, I just-I'm sorry," she looked at Martha and Alexis," I'm intruding." She took a few steps back, "I'll see you later, Castle," her smile gave off the awkwardness she was feeling. She turned to walk down the hallway, but Castle grabbed her wrist in an effort to stop her. Beckett whipped around and stared at Castle's hand, wrapped tightly around her wrist. She slowly made eye contact with him.

"Stay," he whispered.

"But what about Martha and Alexis?" Beckett questioned.

"They were just leaving for the weekend," he replied.

"Yes, darling, we must go. We're going to be late," said Martha with a smile, rushing to leave the two alone. They said their goodbyes again and Castle invited Beckett into his apartment.

"So, all alone for Christmas, huh, Castle?" Beckett observed with a smile, standing about 5 feet away from Castle.

"Well I guess even my own family has gotten tired of me," he sighs dramatically and looks up, "Whatever shall I do?" He smiled.

Beckett laughed.

"Come, sit down," Castle said, walking to the couch and motioning for her to follow. She was hesitant, but finally gave in. She sat down first on the corner of the couch. Castle sat unexpectedly close to her. A mere couple of inches. They stared into each other's eyes a few moments before Castle said, "So, what can I do for you?"

"Oh-um-I-I just wanted to say….I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for listening to me last night and for comforting me and just being there for me. I think it's the only reason I'm somewhat emotionally stable today," she laughed nervously staring at the floor.

He put a comforting hand on her knee. She stared at the hand and felt her eyes become moist. She looked up at him.

"Rick," she began. His heart fluttered at the use of his first name. "Rick, I-I meant what I said, yesterday," she said softly.

"What? That you and Josh broke up? I know, I believe you," he smiled.

She laughed, letting a tear stroll down her face. His smile grew wider.

"I love you, Kate," he whispered as her laughter faded. She looked deep into his eyes.

She smiled softly. They held their gaze as they grew closer to each other. Castle could feel the heat radiating off her lips before he pressed his own against hers. He pressed his hands against her back and pulled her close. She slowly took her hands and ran them through his hair. She let out a quiet moan of pleasure.

They pulled apart, holding their embrace. Then, Castle pulled her in, not for another kiss, but just for a tight hug. He rubbed his hands up and down her back as she cuddled into his chest. They remained like this for a few minutes. They pulled away just enough to look be able to look at each other. They smiled, just like in the elevator.

"I love you too, Rick."

He gave her a quick kiss.

"I can't believe I'm about to say this, but you do know that you're gonna be late right?" Castle said.

She looked at her watch and her eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, Castle I have to go. I'll see you in a few," she smiled.

She stood up to let herself out, but Castle grabbed her wrist…again. She smiled slightly at the gesture. He'd only done it twice, but it sent a shiver of joy up her spine. She looked back at him and smiled.

"What?" she laughed.

"After work today…why don't you come here…you know, for some dinner and relaxation," he offered.

She smiled, "Oh, Castle…"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I get it. Of course you have other plans. I should have known," he looked at the floor and solemnly let go of her wrist.

"No, that's not it at all, it's just that…I've waited to hear that for a while now. It kind of took me by surprise," she smiled.

He stood up and put his arms around her waist, and she put her arms on his. He smiled and kissed her.

"So you'll come?" he asked.

"After that, definitely," she laughed.

"Good, I'll see you at the precinct in about an hour," he said.


	3. Dance The Night Away

Beckett was at her desk finishing paperwork. That is, she was supposed to be finishing paperwork. In reality, her thoughts kept drifting to Castle. She must have mistakenly written his name about 6 times so far while completing her paperwork. She smiled softly as she looked at his empty chair to the side of her desk. She thought of how kind and comforting he was to her and how he was there. He was there for her, always. She never had someone like that before. He was her rock. He would support her and protect her no matter what they faced together. Oddly enough, as strong-minded and independent she was, she didn't really mind letting Castle help her, or protect her. She's never let anyone protect her before. She never let anyone in as much as she did Castle. He was the one. Her one and done. The one she'd marry, the one she'd start a family with, the one she'd travel with, the one she'd cry with, the one she'd laugh with, the one she'd grow old with. Her nerves and excitement for dinner at Castle's were twisting her stomach into knots so tight they felt like they could never be undone, but at the same time she didn't entirely mind the discomfort.

She was shaken from her thoughts when she heard Castle clear his throat. She looked up and caught his heavy gaze. Her smile grew slightly. She then saw his outstretched hand, offering her third cup of coffee. She stared at the coffee. Though she'd never admit it, every time he brought her coffee, her heart raced a little faster.

"Are you going to take it?" Castle smiled, referring to the coffee.

"Oh, sorry," Beckett laughed, taking the coffee from his hand. He sat down.

"What were you thinking about? I was standing there for a good minute and a half before you even noticed me."

Beckett's eyes widened slightly with embarrassment, "You were? I'm sorry," she apologized nervously.

"Hey it's not a big deal. I've never seen you so deep in thought before. Everything's okay right?" Castle asked concernedly.

"Oh, believe me," Beckett laughed, "There is _nothing_ for _you_ to be worried about."

_Later that night…_

It was almost 8:00PM and Beckett was arriving any minute now. Castle ran frantically around the apartment in preparation. He wanted to get every last detail ready for their Christmas Eve. Dinner.

The doorbell rang. Castle ran to the door. He straightened his shirt out, took a deep breath, and smiled. He opened the door to reveal Beckett standing there, looking as beautiful as ever. She wore a log-sleeved, skin-tight, dark emerald sweater-dress. It brought out the color of her vibrant, green eyes. The luscious waves of her hair fell ever so perfectly on her shoulders. She looked magnificent, like a piece of art. He couldn't believe that she was real.

"Kate," Castle finally said, "You look stunning," motioning for her to enter the apartment.

Beckett smiled and felt the heat rush to her cheeks as she blushed. Her heart was pounding and the way he looked at her made her stomach flutter. He sat her down on the couch as he went into the kitchen. He came back with two glasses of red wine and handed one to Beckett. He sat down a mere couple of inches from her. Beckett rested her right elbow on the back of the couch and held her head up with that same arm. She took a sip of wine as Castle propped his head up with his left arm, which he rested on the back of the couch. They stared deep into each other's eyes for a few minutes in all silence except for the sounds of the city.

_After dinner…(11:30PM)_

The way the night had progressed, Beckett could tell that she had a difficult decision to make. She saw the opportunity to spend the night with Richard Castle surfacing rather quickly, and she wanted nothing more than to grab it and dance the night away with him in utter bliss. However, she had this nagging feeling. She didn't want things to move too quickly. What if he changed his mind? Richard Castle could have any woman he wanted. What if he wanted someone else? She wasn't anything special. She couldn't compete with those rich, tall, blonde, voluptuous social elites that he encountered at every high-society event he attended. She just had her heart broken. If it happened again, more specifically, if Richard Castle hurt her, her heart would be broken beyond repair. She watched him clean up the table and quickly brushed off any doubts that clouded her mind. She wanted to be with Richard Castle. He had changed. He wasn't the womanizer she met three years ago. He was much more stable, much more grounded. He had changed. He had changed for her. She knew that he would be there for her emotionally, physically, mentally, just like all the times before, but now even more so.

They sat back down on the couch.

"So tell me," Castle began, "Where's your father? I thought for sure you would be spending Christmas Eve with him."

She smiled. The fact that he was remotely concerned about her father's whereabouts made her heart melt.

"He went out west to visit his sister's family. I was going to go, but until recently I was supposed to be spending Christmas with…" her voice trailed off as a saddened expression grew on her face. She stared at the floor. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she fought to keep them from falling.

"Hey," he whispered, putting, rubbing a comforting hand up and down her back.

"I'm sorry," Beckett inhaled and smiled, "Let's talk about something else," she made eye-contact again.

Castle kept his left hand on her back and brought his right hand to the side of her neck, using his thumb to brush away the tear that had managed to fall from her eyes. They gazed into each other's eyes. Her green eyes gleamed with the shine of her tears and his sterling blue eyes sparkled as they registered the beautiful creature in front of them.

Slowly, the distance between them lessened and lessened until finally, their lips met with the intensity of waves crashing against the shore. Beckett leaned back, inviting Castle to lean forward. This motion continued until Beckett was on her back and Castle was hovering over her, all the while never losing contact. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. With this, she ran her hands through his hair. His hands were on her waist, but slowly moved higher and higher. He felt her every curve and took it all in. They were breathing quickly. The intensity of the passion was like nothing either of them had ever felt before. Before they knew it, they found themselves slowly making their way up the stairs. Castle pressed Beckett against the wall and kissed her. It felt like a fire burning in her lungs. She gasped for air. They continued up the stairs. Their two bodies became one as they crashed onto the bed and just as Beckett desired, they danced the night away in pure ecstasy.


	4. Merry Christmas

CHAPTER 4:

**A/N: Thanks for the positive feedback! And remember, reviews are always welcome! They make me write better!**

It was Christmas morning. Sunlight streamed into the bedroom, slowly melting the icicles that had formed on the very top of the window. Beckett's dress that was hugging her curves a few hours ago was thrown onto the floor, her heels were somewhere in the hallway, and God only knows where the rest of her clothing was because it certainly was nowhere near her.

The couple was fast asleep, exhausted from the night they had just spent together. Castle had his strong, protective arms around Kate as she was snuggled tightly into his side.

Castle stirred. The sunlight hit his closed eyelids causing him to squint in discomfort. He opened his eyes. He had every intention of rolling over, but then he noticed her. He had forgotten what had happened. It was so unreal that he assumed it was just a dream. He observed her every detail. The slow rise and fall of her chest with every breath she took, the way the sun made the voluminous waves of her hair shine. Her eyes, even when closed, were absolutely beautiful. She was beautiful. She was perfect. She was his. She was finally his.

She stirred. Her eyes opened slowly, and just like Castle, her eyes squinted. She inhaled deeply and slowly as she stretched in the limited range of motion created by Castle big, muscular arms. He loosened his grip and she turned so she could make see him. She smiled softly, her eyes threatening to close with fatigue at any given moment.

"Hey," Castle whispered with a smile.

"Hey," Beckett replied lazily.

Beckett now completely rolled over to fully face Castle, all the while remaining in his embrace.

They gazed into each other's eyes.

"Merry Christmas," he said, still smiling.

Beckett's smile grew wider as she ran a hand through his hair.

"Merry Christmas," she replied.

She took a quick look at his lips only to look up and see that Castle was staring at hers.

They kissed quickly. Then again and again, all leading up to one long, titillating kiss that left them gasping for air. They smiled.

"C'mon," Castle said slipping away from Beckett and standing up, putting on a pair of boxers, "Let's go see what Santa brought you."

"Santa? Rick, really?" she said sarcastically.

"Yes. Santa. Now come, I'm sure you're going to like what Santa brought for you."

Beckett looked at him with a suspicious smile, but then finally sat up, covering herself with the covers and scanned the room, searching for her dress.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Castle said. "I'll go get you something to wear," he said walking out of the room.

Beckett smiled. She couldn't stop smiling. She was happy. She was really happy. She looked around the room as she waited for Castle to return. She was in Richard Castle's bedroom after spending the best night of her life with Richard Castle himself. She loved it…. She loved him.

Her thoughts were thwarted by Castle's return to the room. He handed her a pair of sweatpants and one of Alexis' t-shirts. She put them on and stood up. Castle waited for her in the doorway. When she approached him, he outstretched his hand as an invitation for her to grab it. She took his hand and followed him down the stairs.

He brought her to the Christmas tree that was so beautifully decorated in the middle of his living room. He let go of her hand as he sat down next to the tree. She watched him. He handed her a a thin packgage. She was taken aback. She wasn't expecting him to get her anything.

"Oh, Rick...I wasn't expecting you to get me anything. I didn't get you anything," she said solemnly.

"The only gift I wanted was your company…and you gave it to me," he smiled, "Now open it."

She smiled as she sat down on the floor next to him. She tore off the wrapping paper revealing a large yellow envelope and smiled even wider as she felt Castle's heavy gaze.

She opened the envelope and took out the documents it enclosed. Her smile faded. She looked up at Castle who was smiling warmly at her, and then quickly looked back at the papers she held in her hand.

"_We would like to cordially invite you to the first annual distribution of the "Johanna Beckett Scholarship.""_

Beckett couldn't finish reading it because the tears that welled up in her eyes clouded her vision.

"Oh, Rick…" her voice trailed off. Her lip trembled as she fought to hold in the tears. She smiled, "Thank you," she whispered quickly as a few tears slid down her face. Castle inched closer and wrapped his arms around her. She put the papers on the ground next to her and wrapped her arms around him.

After a few moments, he whispered, "I told you you'd love what Santa brought for you."

She laughed and pulled away slightly so she could make eye contact. "Thank you," she repeated with a smile.

"Always," he replied. They leaned in for a quick, yet passionate kiss.

Castle stood up, and reached for Beckett's hands. She raised her arms and he dragged her to her feet. He held her hand and brought her towards his office. Just as they were about to walk through his office doorway, Beckett stopped short in her tracks. Castle turned around to see what stopped her and saw that she was staring at the top of the doorway, smiling slightly. He turned around to see what she was staring at. It was mistletoe. Hanging from the top of the door way. He had completely forgotten that he had put it there. He used it as a lame excuse to get his daughter to give him a quick kiss on the cheek every time she came into his office. He smiled back at her as they made eye contact.

"Dare we break tradition?" asked Castle mischievously.

Beckett's smile grew. "I don't know. I mean, we've been having a pretty good time, I wouldn't wanna risk it," she said in mock seriousness.

Before she even finished he sentence, Rick pulled her in tight and wrapped his arms around her slender waist. Beckett laughed. She put her hands on his cheeks and leaned in for a deep, long, sensual kiss.


	5. There's No Hiding It

It was the next morning and everyone was at the precinct back to the regular schedule.

Beckett sat at her desk, staring directly in front of her with no particular target in mind. She sat there deep in thought as the commotion of the precinct spun around her. Her thoughts were consumed with Castle. She had such a great time with him.

"Beckett?" said Esposito.

Beckett didn't answer.

"Beckett?" repeated Esposito a little louder.

She was visibly shaken from her thoughts causing Esposito to give her a suspicious look.

She cleared her throat, "Yes?"

"Are you okay? You seem like you're not all here today."

"I-I-I'm fine," she said quickly, "What did you want to tell me?"

"Lanie has something for you down in the morgue."

"Thanks, I'll go right now," she said standing up.

Beckett walked down the cold hallway to the morgue, smiling, yet again thinking of Castle. She put her hand on the doorknob to enter, but stopped. She had to regain control of herself. She wiped the smile off her face, took a deep breath and turned the doorknob.

Lanie was running a test on the vic's body and therefore didn't make eyecontact until after a few moments.

"Soooooo," Beckett said. "What do you have for me?"

Lanie opened her mouth to speak as she made eye contact with Beckett. Once their eyes met, Lanie closed her mouth. Her brow furrowed and her head tilted slightly. Beckett returned the gesture in mere confusion of Lanie's odd behavior.

"No, say it ain't so," Lanie began with a smile growing on her face.

"What are you talking about?" asked Beckett, still confused.

"Girl!"

"What, Lanie! What are you talking about?" Beckett asked, this time louder with a hint of defensiveness. She felt a knot tightening in her stomach as the realization set in. She knew that Lanie suspected something. It was only a matter of knowing how much Lanie knew.

"Honey, don't you even try to play dumb with me. You're glowing so bright you're lighting up this whole room! Who is he? Tell me everything!"

"Lanie, I real—" Beckett was cut off.

"Kate! Just tell me! You know I'll get it out of you eventually."

"Lanie, we're not talking about this!" Beckett said even louder.

At that moment, Beckett's cell phone beeped with a text message. Beckett reached into her pocket and took out her phone, hoping that in the time she spent answering, Lanie would drop the topic. She was wrong.

Just as Beckett opened the message, Lanie grabbed the phone out of her hands and ran to the other side of the table. Beckett lunged across the table avoiding contact with the victim's body, trying to get the phone back from her friend.

"Lanie give that back!" she screamed. She ran around the table.

Lanie ran away from her laughing as she read the message out loud.

"Oh," Lanie said, "It's just Castle. Here you go," Lanie said slightly saddened because she didn't discover a steamy text on Beckett's phone.

Beckett grabbed the phone from Lanie with an angered look and stuck it back in her pocket. They shared a deep stare of rivalry. Beckett was blushing and had a relieved look on her face that she couldn't wipe off quick enough.

Lanie's eyes widened. "Oh, Kate," she said softly with a faint smile.

Beckett broke the eye contact and stared at the floor.

"Kate Beckett did you do the dirty dance with Richard Castle?" Lanie asked excitedly, her voice growing.

Beckett bit her lip and arched her eyebrows as she looked back up at Lanie.

"Good lord! You did!" Lanie exclaimed, smiling.

The cat was out of the bag. She couldn't hide it any longer and frankly, she wanted oh so badly to confide in someone the things that she was feeling.

Beckett smiled and smiled and nodded in confirmation.

"Why didn't you tell me? Was it amazing? Oh my God! Say something!" Lanie was getting more riled up with excitement by the second. She grabbed Beckett's hands and squeezed trying to contain herself.

Beckett's smile grew, "Lanie, let's just say that he knows how to satisfy a woman."

"Oooooo Richard Castle! Damn, girl! He clearly does! You've never looked this great before. You are beaming with joy! I've never seen you this happy."

"Really? Thanks, Lanie."

Lanie squealed. "Ahh! I'm so excited!"

Beckett laughed.

Lanie grabbed Beckett for a bone-crushing hug.

As soon as they broke the embrace, "But, Lanie, you can't tell anyone. I mean, I'm not entirely sure if…you know."

"Kate Beckett, if you are going to stand here and question Richard Castle's love and loyalty to you then you can just leave. That man has followed you around for the past three years like a puppy follows its owner. Everything is going to work out fine and you'll be married and even happier before you know it."

Beckett's heart fluttered when she heard the words "you'll be married" come out of Lanie's mouth. She smiled.

"I know, but still, please don't tell anyone."

"Fine, but only if you promise to keep me updated and tell me every single detail."

Beckett laughed, "It's a deal."


	6. Hiding the Obvious

While Beckett was in the morgue with Lanie…

Castle walked into the precinct. The second he met Ryan and Esposito by their dsks, they flashed him mischevious smiles.

Castle's brow furrowed and a smile grew on his face, "What?"

"Damn, Castle" Esposito said with an even broader smile.

"What?" Castle repeated.

"Someone got seriously laid last night," Esposito said.

"And judging how you look right now, I'm thinking it happened the night before too," added Ryan.

Castle just laughed.

"Tell us! Who is she? Is she super-freakin' hot?" asked Esposito.

Castle opened his mouth to speak, but was cut short by Beckett who had just returned from the morgue.

Ryan and Esposito, still with mischievous smiles, looked at Beckett.

She gave them a suspicious look. "What are you two grinning about?"

They looked at Castle and their smiles grew. Castle looked at Beckett. Beckett's eyes widened and her heart was racing. He didn't dare tell Ryan and Esposito about them, did he? Beckett had a scared expression on her face. Castle caught this and a smile grew on his face.

"Castle was just about to tell us about the lucky chica he spent the night with ," explained Esposito.

Beckett opened her mouth to protest, but nothing came out.

"Guys, he doesn't want to tell us about another one of his expeditions and frankly, I don't wanna hear it," Beckett cringed sarcastically.

The boys laughed.

"Oh c'mon, Beckett. You wouldn't understand," said Ryan.

Beckett raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, it's a guy thing. Sharing our "expeditions," as you put it, it-it gives us a sense of pride," Esposito smiled, putting a hand on his chest as if to emphasize the importance of the act.

Beckett smiled tightly, "Then fine. Castle, tell us about this girl. I'd love to observe this male act of pride," she said sarcastically taking a seat next to Ryan and Esposito who were sitting on her desk.

"Bro, start with what she looked like. Paint me a picture," Esposito said closing his eyes with a smile. Ryan copied the gesture.

Castle looked at Beckett. She stared back deeply into his sterling blue eyes, crossed her arms, and smiled tightly.

Casstle smiled warmly back at her. "Well for starters, she has the most beautiful, big emerald eyes, that shine bright, especially in the sunlight."

Beckett's smile softened.

"And her hair. Her hair frames her face so perfectly with each chestnut colored wave. And her body-don't even get me started on how perfectly crafted it is. She is the most beautiful woman in the world. She's real. She's smart. Her laugh and smile are absolutely infectious."

Beckett smiled, her eyes becoming moist with tears.

"Damn, Castle. She must be one hell of a woman," Esposito said.

"She sure is," said Castle, never breaking eye contact with Beckett.

"Poor guy's in love," Esposito said to Ryan, but loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Yeah, tell me about it. That girl better feel the same way," said Ryan.

"I'm sure she does," Beckett said softly with a smile.

Ryan and Esposito whipped their heads towards Beckett, giving her suspicious looks.

Beckett's eyes widened at the realization of what she just said.

"Now that that's over, do we have anything new on the case?" Beckett asked snarkily.

"Not a single thing," replied Ryan.

Beckett sighed in frustration and sat down at her desk.

Castle handed her the coffee he had been holding since he arrived. She took it and smiled, again receiving suspicious looks from Ryan and Esposito.

She took a sip, all the while eyeing Ryan and Esposito who returned the gesture.

"May I help you?" asked Beckett sarcastically.

Ryan smiled, and as he pointed between Castle and Beckett said, "It just that—"

Esposito smacked Ryan's chest with the back of his hand in order to get him to stop talking.

Ryan cleared his throat, "Right, okay so…"

"We're gonna go keep researching our vic," Esposito finished. The two men walked away.

"Castle," Beckett said pretending to fill out paperwork in order to cover up the fact that she was talking to Castle.

"Yes," Castle replied, pretending to play on his phone in order to cover up the fact that he was talking to Beckett and also partly to mock her for trying to hide their conversation.

"Castle, I'm serious. Did you see that?" Beckett asked quietly, still 'pretending.'

"See what?" asked Castle still on his phone.

"Ryan and Esposito! They so know that we're together now."

"I like the sound of that," Castle replied flipping through the pictures in his phone.

"Oh really? You like the sound of that? Do you know how much crap we're gonna get from them about it?" Beckett replied, furiously scribbling on her notepad, still 'filling out paperwork.'

"No I meant I like the sound of you saying that "we're together." And please, it would have gotten out eventually. We might as well get it over with now," replied Castle looking up at Beckett who had stopped scribbling, but remained intent on her notepad.

Beckett sighed and sat back in her chair, "I suppose you're right."

"What was that? I didn't quite catch that. Did you say I was right?" asked Castle jokingly.

"Are we really playing this game right now?" Beckett snapped back with a smile.

"While, I'm on a roll, would it be right of me to assume that you would accept my offer for dinner tonight at my place?" asked Castle smoothly.

Beckett smiled, "I guess so," she replied dragging out the syllables with her every word.

"At this time I'd like to point out that the score is Richard Castle _two_, Katherine Becket _zero_," exclaimed Castle.

Beckett rolled her eyes with a laugh.


	7. Caught in the Act

Castle and Beckett had just finished dinner. Beckett was standing at the sink, washing the dishes. She was barefoot and wearing dark blue skinny jeans along with a black tank top. Her hair looked as if she had blown it out, but being Beckett, that's just the way her hair fell. Each and every wave was perfectly positioned as her hair fell on her shoulders. Castle had gone upstairs to change into more comfortable clothes.

Then out of nowhere, Beckett felt two arms wrap around her waist from behind her. She smiled and turned her head only to unexpectedly meet Castle's lips. He gave her a quick kiss. She then turned her head back and continued with the dishes. Castle however, still holding Beckett around the waist, continued giving her quick kisses as he went from behind her ear, down to her neck, then down to her collar bone. Beckett looked up and closed her eyes in pleasure. She turned her head back again, and again met Castle's lips unexpectedly. This time, however, the kiss was longer. Beckett dropped the dish she was cleaning in the sink and turned around to face Castle, whose arms were still wrapped around her. Beckett brushed her hands through the hair on the back of Castle's head. Her lungs were burning due to the intensity of the kiss, and therefore she reluctantly pulled away, gasping for hair. He picked her up and carried her over to the couch, the faucet still running. He laid her down. She hung on to his neck as he hovered over her. Castle put a knee on each side of her as she pulled herself up by his neck, so she could reach his lips. His hands slowly moved from her waist up to her hair, feeling every curve on the way. Beckett moaned softly in delight.

The door to the apartment opened.

"Dad?" Alexis exclaimed as she and Martha entered the apartment.

Beckett let go of Castle and fell onto the couch, gasping in embarrassment. Castle whipped his head around.

"A-A-A-Ale-Alexis? What are you doing here? You were supposed to come back tomorrow," he stuttered as he stood up.

Beckett jumped back and turned multiple shades of red. She felt the heat rushing to her cheeks.

"We were worried about you. We felt bad for leaving you alone all this time," answered Alexis, eyes as wide as can be.

"Obviously, you took care of that problem. Hello, Kate," said Martha with a smile.

"Hey Martha, Alexis," she replied, sitting up straight, smiling nervously, and refusing to make eye contact due to the humiliation she was experiencing.

Beckett stood up, "Ri-Castle, I really should get going."

She started to walk past Castle, but her grabbed her wrist, to stop her.

_Damn it, he did it again_, she thought as she shivered at his gentle touch.

"Kate, please don't go," he begged.

Martha and Alexis exchanged looks.

Beckett looked back at him, into his sterling blue eyes.

"But, really. Martha and Alexis just got home and-"

"You should stay," Alexis said, cutting off Beckett. The three adults stared at the teen in surprise of what she just said.

"What? Why?" asked Beckett in surprise.

"Detective Beckett, please stay. Don't leave just 'cause we got here. You're not imposing. If anything we are for coming home a day early. We'll be upstairs, you won't even know we're here. Just please don't leave," pleaded Alexis. She looked at her father momentarily before returning her eyes to Beckett.

Beckett smiled faintly. Castle was still holding onto her wrist. "Alexis, that's very sweet, but I'm sure you're going to want to tell you dad about everything you did while you were away, and it's simply not my place," Beckett explained shaking of Castle's grip.

"I'd love for you to hear about our trip too, Detective Beckett. It'd be nice to hear a girl's opinion on things instead of dad's twisted views," Alexis said, smiling at her father.

Beckett was taken aback. She smiled at Castle who was clearly outnumbered. He smiled back at her. His piercing blue eyes were beggin her to stay, and Alexis was reaching out to her, and she couldn't just say _no_.

"Alright, I'll stay," she said softly.

Alexis squealed in delight.

The four sat down on the couch. On the left was Martha, then was Alexis, then was Castle and right next to him was Beckett. Alexis began giving a full in-depth description of her and her grandmother's vacation. Beckett could help but smile at how excited Alexis got as she recounted what she had done. It reminded her of how she used to be, excited about everything life threw at her. Now she was extremely cautious. She wished she could get as excited about little things as Alexis did. Her gaze remained intent on Alexis as she leaned in to better hear her.

Castle's gaze however, was intent on Beckett. Alexis didn't mind his lack of attention, in fact she found it adorable that her father was so mesmerized by Beckett. He stared at her as he often enjoyed doing. She was beautiful. Most importantly, she stayed. She actually stayed. That meant the world to him. He knew it probably didn't matter to Beckett if she heard Alexis' stories, but she stayed. She cared enough to stay. At that moment, Beckett laughed at something Alexis said and Castle's smile grew wider. She reached to hold Beckett's hand. At first, she tensed at his touch. They did just get caught by his mother and daughter, so she really wasn't comfortable with showing affection in front of them quite yet. He sensed this and understood. As he pulled his hand away, however, Beckett grabbed it. She intertwined her fingers with his. He gave her hand a squeeze causing a wide smile to spread across her features. They made quick eye contact, causing their smiles to grow even wider.

When Alexis had finally finished telling everyone of her ventures, she and Martha said goodnight and went upstairs. Castle and Beckett were left alone on the couch, sitting right next to each other.

"You know what?" Castle said.

"What?" said Beckett, playing along.

"I'm not tired," he said, staring deep into her eyes with a smile. He stole a glance at her lips before returning is gaze to her eyes.

Beckett grinned and said, "Me neither." She noticed the way he stared from her eyes to her lips and back to her eyes.

Castle leaned in and she returned the gesture. Their lips met. She felt Castle's tongue just begging for entrance. She complied.

They shared a long passionate kiss before pulling away from one another and resuming their staring contest.

"You are beautiful," he whispered. Beckett blushed, but it wasn't seen because the apartment was dark.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" he asked.

"Actually," she said, "How about we just talk." She bit her lip.

"Talk about what?" he asked.

"About anything," she replied.

"Alright," he said.

He put an arm around her as they sat back onto the couch. She snuggled into his side and inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of his cologne.

Castle began to tell her a hilarious story that had Beckett laughing hysterically every few minutes. He kept going. He'd say anything if it made her laugh like that. Her laugh was absolutely infectious. He wouldn't mind hearing that sound for the rest of his life.

Eventually, Beckett fell asleep. Castle tightened his grip around her in a protective and possessive way. She stirred and cuddled deeper into his side. He closed his eyes, and drifted off into a deep sleep.


	8. Testing It

The next morning…

Martha came down the stairs in her robe only to discover the sight of her son and apparently new girlfriend, Beckett on the couch asleep. She couldn't help but smile at the sight. Martha walked into the kitchen to start making coffee when something odd caught her sight. She stared at the floor, and noticed that right in front of the sink, the hardwood varnish was completely worn off. It wasn't like that when she and Alexis left for vacation. She stared at it.

"Gram, what are you staring at?" Martha heard Alexis whisper.

Martha looked up and asked, "What happened to the floor?"

"Oh," Alexis laughed quietly, "When we 'interrupted' last night, Dad and Kate had left the faucet running. It managed to create quite a spill, but I cleaned it up right before we told them about our vacation."

Martha raised her head in understanding and let out a soft chuckle. _It was going to be that kind of night, _she thought to herself.

Martha and Alexis saw Castle and Beckett begin to stir on the couch. Martha quickly motioned to Alexis to go upstairs to give the two some privacy. The two redheads ran up the stairs.

Castle's eyes opened as Beckett was wiping the sleep away from her eyes. She ran a hand through her hair and looked up at Castle whose gaze was already set on her. She smiled.

"Morning," he said. She decided to answer with a quick peck on the lips. They both sighed as they sat up slowly and faced each other.

"Would you like some breakfast?" he asked softly.

"I'd like that," she smiled. The couple slowly got up and walked into the kitchen hand in hand.

"Say, I was wondering," Castle began, "Do you have plans tonight?"

"Rick, I've been here every night for the past week. I don't even remember what my apartment looks like. You cannot possibly tell me that you aren't sick of me."

"I'm not sick of you," he replied.

Beckett laughed with a complying smile, "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, it is New Year's Eve," he began, "So you have to options. One, we go out to a restaurant and then come back here or two, we just spend a quiet evening here at the apartment."

"Well," she smiled, "What's the point of going out to a restaurant if we're just going to end up back here?"

"Apartment it is," he grinned.

"Wait, what do you mean 'a quiet evening?' Where are Martha and Alexis going to be?"

"Well, mother spends New Year's Eve with her theatre friends and Alexis is spending it with Ashley, so if you don't come over, I'm going to be here all alone on New Year's Eve, drowning my sorrows in straight up vodka like every other depressed writer out there," he said giving her a puppy dog face.

An amused smile grew on Beckett's face as she sarcastically said, 'Well, I wouldn't want that to happen."

They both laughed.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Beckett walked into the precinct and was met by Ryan and Esposito. She took off her jacket and put it on the back of her chair. She looked up only to find Ryan and Esposito giving her mischievous grins.

She rolled her eyes, took a deep breath and gave them a tight smile.

"Where's Castle? Is he alright?" asked Ryan.

"Or did you already take care of him this morning?" quipped Esposito.

"Ha-Ha, very funny you guys. What do you have for me?" Beckett asked changing the subject.

Still with mischievous smiles, the boys showed her the new evidence.

"So we were thinking that since the deposit originally came from the same-" Esposito was cut short.

Beckett felt two arms grab her around the waist from behind. She smiled softly, but hated public displays of affection so she slowly tore the arms off of her waist as she turned around.

"Josh?" she said in shock.

"Hey baby, what's up?" he replied.

Beckett's jaw dropped. She was extremely surprised and shocked and confused. She stared at Ryan and Esposito who slowly walked away sensing she needed the privacy, but nonetheless continued watching the sight. They sat on their desks, watching the spectacle.

"Josh, what are you doing here?" she asked slowly walking backwards.

"I came to surprise you, but you don't seem too happy to see me."

He walked towards her. She kept slowly walking backwards until she hit the wall.

Castle walked in carrying two coffees. He approached Ryan and Esposito.

"Whatchya guys lookin' at?" he asked with a smirk.

Both of their heads whipped towards Castle.

"Oh, C-Castle!" said Ryan.

Castle saw what they were looking at. Josh was talking to Beckett and had a hand on the wall on each side of her. Castle had an angered look on his face as set the coffees down and began to march over to the scene, but Esposito stopped him before he could go anywhere.

"Esposito, don't try to stop me," he whispered angrily.

"Bro, just watch what she does," Esposito insisted. Castle agreed and sat next to the boys with an enraged look on his face.

"Babe, I want to be with you. I was stupid. You're so heartbroken and I never should have said what I said. You're the one I want to be with, always," Josh said.

Beckett's brow furrowed. _Always? Always? He did not just say always_, she thought.

"Listen," she began with a nervous smile. She flattened her hands against his chest, then pulled them back, keeping them in the same flattened position, "I've moved on, Josh. I'm not heartbroken. You were right. Things hadn't been working for quite some time."

"No, you don't mean that, Kate," Josh whispered.

At that moment, Beckett saw Castle and her eyes widened, but before anything could happen, Josh leaned in and kissed her tight. Beckett squirmed and pushed him so far back that he knocked down the murder board.

Castle stood up and walked into the break room. Beckett saw this and ran, literally _ran_ past Josh and after Castle into the break room.

Josh lay on the ground very perplexed. He'd never been denied by a woman before and therefore was experiencing a multitude of new emotions.

Esposito walked over, and helped Josh up.

"It was nice knowin' you," Espostio said.

"Yeah, you're a really nice guy," added Ryan. Then two men escorted Josh to the elevator.

Meanwhile in the break room…

As Beckett walked in, Castle's back was turned towards her. He had leaned forward on the counter, using his arms as support. She slammed the door behind her.

"Rick, please. You have to believe me. Nothing is going on. Nothing happened. You saw me push him away. I'm sorry, Rick. You have to believe me. I never want to see him again. Rick, say something, please. I love you," Kate said, completely exasperated.

She ran a hand through her hair.

Castle sighed. He turned around and flashed her a smile.

Her brow furrowed in surprise at his reaction and her head tilted, but she smiled nonetheless.

"Why are you smiling?" she whispered.

He walked over and stopped so close that she could feel the heat radiating from his body. He looked down into her eyes, grabbed her waist tightly, and gave her a long, deep kiss. Her arms hung lifelessly at her sides.

He broke the kiss and said, "I know nothing happened. I just didn't want to be there when things got even uglier." Beckett laughed as they walked back to her desk, only to find that Esposito and Ryan, who were now scrambling to look busy, had been watching their entire break room exchange.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Later that night, after dinner….

It was almost midnight. Castle and Beckett were standing on his balcony, watching the hustle and bustle of the city that completely lit up at night. He was wearing a black button down shirt, with black slacks, and black socks. She was wearing a tight, short, black, sleeveless dress. Her heels were thrown somewhere in the apartment. As usual, her hair fell perfectly onto her shoulders with each and every wave.

She leaned on the railing of the balcony. Castle had his right arm around her. They stood there in happy silence.

They watched as cars zipped by, lights flashed, people walked by, some happy, some sad, some mad. They just stood there, watching.

Beckett however, was much deeper in thought.

"What's going on in that pretty lil' head of yours?" he whispered.

Beckett said, slightly shaken from her thoughts, "Oh nothing." She smiled at him.

"C'mon, what were you thinking about?"

"Honestly?" she asked. Castle nodded.

"You," she said.

"Me? What about me?"

"Everything."

Castle's brow furrowed.

"I mean what happened today. I know you know that nothing happened and that it wasn't my fault, but any other guy could have easily left. You didn't. It just got me thinking how I can't believe that you want to be with me. I'm nothing special and you're just so…wow," she smiled.

"Katherine Beckett, you know very well that-"

"Let me finish," she said cutting him off. "For the past three years, I never said anything about how much I appreciated you. I know that my job would have been so much harder and a lot less fun without you. You kept me going. In many instances, I know that I wouldn't be alive without you. And I know I was difficult, with not letting on what was on my mind, but now I can honestly tell you that you are the best thing that ever happened to me," she stared up into his eyes as he smiled back at her. She had no idea what came over her. Why was she opening up to him like this? She didn't know why, but she wanted Castle to know how much he meant to her partly out of guilt for the day's events, and partly just because she wanted to tell him. She continued, " In our 3 years, I've seen so many sides of you. The gentleman. Rick, let's face it. You sure know how to charm your way to a woman's heart." They laughed at this. He pulled her in closer so they were now facing each other. The crime-fighter. I mean _I_ was even impressed with some of the things you did out on the field. The father. The way you've raised Alexis is perhaps my favorite side of you and I hope that sometime in the near future, you'd consider repeating the whole process with someone else." He stared deeper into her eyes and leaned in even closer, knowing exactly what she meant. The point is, you mean the world to me and I don't want you to ever question that… I love you."

"Can I get that in writing?" he asked in a deep, sultry voice.

She laughed and replied in an equally sultry voice, "Shut up."

They leaned in even closer. They could feel each other's breaths. They heard the roar of the crowd in Times Square as the clock struck midnight and they kissed. Their tongues battled for what seemed like an eternity. They broke apart. She jumped into his arms, and he carried her into his bedroom, giving her soft kisses on the way up.


	9. In Memorium

**A/N: Hey, everyone! I hope you're enjoying the story. I hate asking for reviews, but please review because I only got one review last chapter and it was a little disheartening because your reviews motivate me to write more and quicker…anyway enjoy this chapter!**

Almost two weeks later…

Castle and Beckett were sitting on the couch watching TV. They had just gotten back from the precinct and were both exhausted. He had his arm around her and she cuddled into his side.

Castle partook in his new favorite hobby, observing his girlfriend. As usual he observed her beautiful features, but now he noticed something different. She seemed to be a bit saddened. She was concentrated on the window. She was in her own little world.

"Hey, are you okay?" asked Castle softly.

Beckett, clearly shaken from her thoughts, "Uh…um-yeah," she said quietly with a faint, forced smile as she looked at his eyes. She wasn't staring into them like she usually did and with that, Castle knew that something was definitely wrong. She resumed her stare through the window.

He kissed her softly on the top of her head and whispered into her hair, 'What's wrong?" He pulled her in closer. It made her feel safe.

She turned her head as if to make eye contact, but settled for staring at his chest.

"My dad called today," she said.

"And? Is everything okay?" Castle asked concernedly.

She waited a few moments before answering. "Yeah…it's just that…he decided to stay an extra week because he didn't know when he'd ever have the chance to go visit again."

"Okay, and why are you so upset about it?" Castle asked, prying the information out of her. Even though they were officially together, Beckett still played her cards relatively close to her vest.

She didn't answer.

"Kate, what's going on?"

She swallowed hard and took a deep breath, "It's just that…tomorrow is…..tomor-…..."

Castle could tell it was serious considering she couldn't formulate a coherent sentence.

"Tomorrow is…..," she sighed, "The anniversary of my mom's death," she finished in a barely audible tone.

Castle's mouth opened in realization as he hugged her. She leaned in closer to him. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she wasn't going to let them fall.

"And, every year my dad and I go spend an hour at her gravesite just talking to her and telling her about things that have happened," she laughed sadly as she stared at their now intertwined hands.

Castle didn't know what to say. He would have been more than glad to accompany her to continue tradition, but he didn't want to cross any boundaries. But then he wondered if she would feel as though he didn't care enough to offer? He settled for just soothing her in silence.

Then, as if she had read his mind, "Rick?" she said softly.

"Yes," he replied.

"You can say no if you don't want to, I mean I totally understand," she rambled.

"Well I can pretty much guarantee that I'll say yes, but what is it?" he said with a smile.

"Would you mind coming with me tomorrow? To visit my mother? I just really don't want to go alone 'cause God only knows what dark place I'm capable of dragging myself into if I don't have someone there to pull me back." She looked up into his eyes.

"It would be an honor, so join you and to finally thank her," he smiled warmly.

"Thank her for what?"

"For you," his smile grew.

She rolled her eyes, but in an appreciative way.

"Thank you," she whispered, still keeping eye contact.

"Always," he replied with three quick kisses.

The next day….

It was a cloudy day and the weatherman announced that snow was inevitable. The wind stung as it blew past Castle and Beckett as they made the journey to her mother's grave. Beckett was wearing black skinny jeans, a black trenchcoat, a black woolen scarf, black leather boots, and black gloves. Her hair blew back with the strong winds. Castle sported black jeans, and a black coat.

They walked together hand in hand, their fingers intertwined with one another's. Beckett slowed and finally came to a stop.

Castle saw it _JOHANNA BECKETT_. The engraving made everything seem more real. He had seen pictures of the murder, but nothing made it seem more real than seeing the engraving in the tombstone. Beckett stared at the grave with a scared look in her eyes. Castle stared at Beckett with a worried look in his eyes. He could only imagine the things she could be feeling. Sadness, anger, hurt, emptiness, love, yearning. He wanted to do nothing more that hug her long and tight right then and there, but he knew that that would be overstepping his boundaries. He let her lead the event. Beckett let go of Castle's hand and kneeled in front of the gray stone. Castle stood a few feet behind her. She placed the flowers she had brought at the foot of the grave. Beckett slowly put her hand out and ran it across the engraving. She swallowed hard. She was fighting so hard to keep in her tears that it hurt. She felt the pain in her throat, which caused even more tears to flood her eyes.

"Hey mom," Beckett finally said, "It's Katie," she added with a sad smile. Her voiced cracked as she fought back tears.

Castle smiled warmly at how she referred to herself as 'Katie.'

"Dad would be here, but he's off visiting Aunt Joan and Uncle Marc. He says 'hello,' but you already knew that," she said was a sad, breathy laugh.

She swallowed hard again and then after a few moments of silence she said, "Um, everything's going really well. Work is great. It's a lot of fun, especially now," she said with a solemn smile.

After a few minutes she said, "Oh, and I almost forgot."

She looked up towards Castle who had a sad smile on his face. She motioned for him to come kneel down next to her. The cold wind blew even harder.

She looked deep into his icey, blue eyes and never broke eye contact, "Mom, this is Rick. Rick Castle. The famous author." A tear streamed down her face. Castle reached for her hand and she gripped his tightly.

"I've told you about him before," she said, still looking into his eyes. "Well, mom, we're sort of together now. He's a good guy, a really good guy. A-and…he makes me happy," she smiled softly at him. He returned the gesture.

"Remember how you told me that I'd know if it was right once all the songs made sense and whenever I was with him I'd feel like I was flying in my own world? And I'd feel like my insides twisted just at the sound of his name?... Well, for the first time…I know what you mean." She squeezed Castle's hand.

They sat there in silence for another ten minutes. Beckett put her hand on the stone and stood up. Castle stood up right after her, still holding her hand.

She looked at him, tears threatening to spill at any second. He hated seeing her like this. She took a step closer to him and put her arms around his waist, her head on his chest, and hugged him tight. Castle put his arms around her and brought her in even closer. She felt the warmth of his strong protective arms and she felt safe and secure. She looked up at him for a few seconds and said, "Thank you."

He smiled and held her tighter as she put her hear back on his chest.

Then, she stared the stone for a little while longer, took a deep breath and lead Castle home.


	10. Surprise Visitor

**A/N: Thank you guys for the great reviews! It really meant a lot that you took the time to give me your thoughts! Enjoy this chapter :D**

A couple of months later…

It was a Saturday morning. Sunlight streamed into the bedroom. Castle had his arms wrapped around Beckett. He held her close. They were both sleeping peacefully. They were a little more tired than usual considering the night they just had.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Castle stirred slightly and opened his eyes slowly.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Castle sighed and slowly slid away from Beckett so he wouldn't wake her and put on a gray tshirt to go with his navy boxers. His hair stuck up in all different directions as he made his way down the stairs, barely awake.

He opened the door, "Gina?" Then he looked down and saw a little girl standing next to her, no older than four.

"Wha-" Castle couldn't even finish before Gina cut him off.

"Richard, this is my niece, I'm taking care of her for the week, but I have to run out of town for the weekend so could you please watch her for me? Thanks, I owe you one! Take an extra two weeks on your book. Bye!"

Gina left the girl in Castle's apartment along with the girl's overnight bag and ran into the elevator.

Castle stood there trying to process everything that just happened. He looked at the girl. She too looked like she had just gotten out of bed. She was a tiny girl. She came up to about halfway up Castle's thigh. She had wavy hazelnut colored hair and big green eyes. She was wearing a yellow spaghetti-strap sundress and matching tiny, yellow flip flops. She looked very familiar to him. She just stared back up at him with her big green eyes.

He smiled and squatted down in an attempt to match her height, "What's your name?"

"My name is Katie," she replied in a high-angelic voice, "Who are you?"

"My name's Rick," he smiled. "How old are you?"

"I'm three years old," she said except when she pronounced the letter 'r' it sounded like a 'w' so it sounded more like _thwee yeaws old_. She showed Castle three fingers to make her response clear. "How old are you?" she asked innocently.

Castle opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by Beckett.

"Rick, what's going on?" she asked as she walked down the stairs. Her hair was down and she was wearing one of Rick's gray shirts. It was so large and baggy that it reached down to her mid-thigh.

She came down the stairs and stood next to Rick.

"And who is this?" she asked in mild confusion.

"Uh…this is Gina's niece. She dropped her off because she needed someone to watch her because she had to unexpectedly leave town."

Beckett smiled and squatted next to Castle, "What's your name?"

"My name is Katie and I'm three years old," again showing three fingers to clarify herself.

Castle watched Beckett as she laughed at the girl's response. She was absolutely beaming with joy as she watched the little girl, causing Castle's smile to grow even wider.

"Well, Katie, my name is Kate," she replied.

The girl extended her tiny arm to shake Beckett's hand.

"Nice to meet you, Kate," the girl said.

Beckett laughed as she shook the girl's hand.

Castle and Beckett stood up simultaneously. They looked down at the girl.

"Katie, did you eat breakfast today?" asked Beckett, her maternal side kicking in.

The girl shook her head, "No, but I'm really reeeeeaaalllly hungry," the girl replied.

Beckett laughed, "Alright, I'll go make you something to eat."

Beckett walked into the kitchen. Castle followed, holding the little girl's hand. He lifted her onto one of the stools at the counter, across from where Beckett was gathering the necessary ingredients for pancakes. He sat next to Katie. The two of them watched Beckett prepare breakfast.

"I have a question," the little girl told Castle, looking up at him.

He looked down at her and replied, "What's your question?"

Katie looked at Beckett, who momentarily looked up and gave her a smile before returning to the food, and then looked at Castle and asked, "Are you and Kate married?"

Beckett laughed to herself. Castle noticed and a wide smile grew on his face.

"No, Katie, we're not married…yet," he replied, keeping his eyes on Beckett, who looked up and smiled in surprise when he said the word 'yet.'

"So you're going to marry her?" the little girl asked.

Beckett smiled in amusement, as did Castle.

"Do _you_ think I should marry her?" Castle asked playfully.

Katie sat up, she could barely see over the countertop, and eyed Beckett up and down. "I think so," the girl said.

"Oh yeah? Why is that?" asked Castle.

"Well, she's really pretty and nice and she can make pancakes," the little girl smiled.

"In that case….I guess I'll just have to marry her then, won't I?" he replied, looking at Beckett. Beckett smiled warmly.

The little girl nodded in agreement.

Beckett served breakfast and the three of them ate while talking about a range of topics all about Katie and what she liked or disliked.

Then, once they finished, Castle said, "I'm gonna go take a shower."

"Okay," replied Beckett. He stood up, walked around the counter, gave her a quick kiss, and went up the stairs.

15 min later…

Castle was walking down the stairs, fresh from the shower, his hair still wet. It was quiet…a little too quiet. Then, just as he reached the last step, Katie zipped by, giggling hard. Moments later Beckett ran by laughing equally as hard as Katie. Beckett caught up with Katie and grabbed her from behind, lifting her up high in the air. Castle could help but smile. Beckett fell back onto the couch and held Katie tight. They were still laughing. Beckett proceeded to tickle Katie, only heightening the volume of the shrills that were heard as Katie giggled.

Castle stood, watching. Kate was beaming. She had the biggest smile on her face and looked so happy as she cradled Katie, the two still laughing.

Then it hit him. Katie looked just like Beckett. They had the same eyes, the same hair. It was a perfect match. It took him to the future. He couldn't wait to see what Beckett would be like with their own children running around the apartment. With that thought, his smile grew even wider.

He walked over to the couch and said, "What are you two laughing about?"

As their laughter quieted, Beckett replied, "Oh nothing." She looked back down to Katie, who was cradled in her arms and the two started laughing hysterically all over again.

"But since you're done," Beckett said moving Katie to sit next to her on the couch, "It's my turn to go shower." Beckett stood up, gave Castle a quick kiss, then proceeded up the stairs.

About 20 minutes later…

Beckett just stepped out of the bath room, when she heard Castle in his storytelling voice say, "And then the magical princess..." She smiled. He was reading Katie one of Alexis' old books.

Then a few minutes later, after she had gotten dressed, Beckett came down the stairs. It was quiet. She walked around to the couch and found that Castle and Katie had fallen.

She smiled. Katie was sitting to Castle's left and leaned on his chest, his arm around her. She snored softly.

She grabbed a blanket and put it over the two. This slight touch woke Castle and he whispered, "Come join us."

Beckett complied and sat on Castle's right side. He put his arm around her and she snuggled into his side as he adjusted the blanket to cover all three of them. They fell asleep.

**A/N: I hope you liked this chapter! I was wondering your opinion. This story will eventually go on to them being married and such, so should I just keep adding chapters or end this one and write a sequel? Your feedback is greatly appreciated! Thank you !:D**


	11. It's Time to Take The Next Step

**A/N: Thank you guys for reading and reviewing! It means the world to me! This is the last chapter to this fic, but I will post one more chapter where you'll find the link to the first chapter of the sequel. I hope you enjoy it and reviews are much appreciated!**

The next day…

Normally Beckett wouldn't go into work on a Sunday morning, but the precinct was short staffed with the flu going around so she really didn't have a choice. She was upstairs getting ready for work. Castle was going to stay home with Katie, whom Gina was picking up that night.

Beckett came down the stairs. Beckett threw on her coat.

She bent down and gave Katie a tight hug. Her eyes became moist. She was really going to miss her. "I'll see you soon okay, Katie?" The little girl only nodded sadly.

Beckett stood up gave Castle a quick kiss and opened the door to leave. She took one step out the door and felt two tiny arms wrap around her leg. She looked down only to see Katie hugging her leg.

"Please don't go, Kate!" Katie said, tears streaming down her face. The sight broke Beckett's heart. She looked at Castle. He bent down and pried the girl off his girlfriend's leg. Katie was crying and screaming hysterically, repeating, "Nooooooo, Kateeeee!" over and over again. She squirmed in Castle's arms.

Beckett and Castle looked back and forth between the girl and each other. Beckett tightened her lips to ensure that she herself wouldn't start crying.

"What should we do?" asked Castle desperate to quiet the girl's sobs.

Beckett sighed. She walked towards Castle and Katie practically jumped into her arms.

"I'll take her to the precinct with me now, you shower up and meet us there," replied Beckett, calmly.

"You sure?"

"Do you really have a better idea?" Beckett said, slightly annoyed at the delay.

Castle raised his eyebrows in compliance and closed the door as Beckett walked down the hall, carrying Katie on her hip.

At the precinct…

Beckett and Katie walked out of the elevator. Beckett lifted Katie up to sit in Castle's chair and then sat down in her own.

Ryan and Esposito walked over, their gazes fixed on the little girl.

Simultaneously, Ryan and Esposito looked at the girl, then at Beckett, then back to the girl, then back to Beckett, in awe of the uncanny resemblance.

"Beckett, is there something you've been hiding from us?" asked Ryan.

Beckett smiled in amusement. "This is Gina's niece. Gina left her with Castle for the weekend. She wasn't too happy when I tried to leave for work, so I decided to take her with me," she said, smiling at Katie. Katie smiled brightly back at Beckett.

Esposito walked over and squatted next to the little girl. "Hola chiquita. What's your name?"

"My name is Katie."

"Nice meeting you, Katie."

Becket smiled warmly at the exchange.

"Alright, so what do you have for me?" Beckett asked Ryan and Esposito. Esposito stood up and walked back over to Ryan.

"Well…not much. I mean we did find a few bank connections, but probably nothing that affects the case," replied Ryan.

Beckett put her face in her hands, sighed, and said, "Alright, just tell me when you find something."

"Will, do," replied Esposito as he and Ryan walked to their desks.

Just then, Castle walked in carrying three paper cups. Beckett smiled as he approached her.

"Coffee for you," he said handing a cup to Beckett, "Coffee for me," he rose his cup, "And hot chocolate for you," he said, handing Katie a cup.

Castle and Beckett smiled as the little girl slowly slurped her drink. Her feet dangling above the ground as her legs hung over the edge of her seat. She had a huge smile on her face.

Then, all of a sudden, they heard the Captain whisper, "Castle! Come in here, someone wants to see you."

Castle looked into the window of the Captain's office and saw the mayor sitting at Montgomery's desk waving back at him.

"I'll be right back," he told Beckett. He walked into the office, closing the door behind him.

Beckett watched her boyfriend schmoozing and talking to the mayor. She laughed to herself. Then she looked at Katie, who was staring back at her.

Beckett picked up her cup to take a sip of coffee. As she did this, she noticed Katie did the same thing. She lowered her arm, followed by Katie lowering her arm. She raised then lowered, raised then lowered all the while being copied by Katie. She smiled. Katie smiled.

The mayor walked out of the Captain's office, greeting everyone on his way to the elevator. Castle and Montgomery were still laughing in the office.

"Can I see what you're doing?" Katie asked Beckett, referring to the paperwork she was trying to fill out.

Beckett smiled and said, "Sure, come here."

Katie leaped off the chair she was sitting in and took a few short steps towards Beckett. Beckett lifted Katie up and sat her on her lap.

Castle and Montgomery were watching and smiling at the sight. Beckett was explaining something to Katie who was in complete awe by the detective's every move.

"She's really great with her," Montgomery said to Castle about Beckett.

"She sure is," Castle beamed, "I can't wait to see her with our own…" Castle didn't finish his sentence, hoping the Captain would ignore the words that had just left his mouth.

"Castle, you know you're not gonna find another Kate in this world. For the past almost four years now, I've sat on the sidelines watching the two of you. The only thing I've seen move slower than your relationship is a criminal signing a confession. Now in the past, she's been with other guys. Now you'd have to be braindead to not notice how it upset you. That always stood in your way." The Captain paused. Castle was processing everything the Captain was saying. The two men stared through the office window at Beckett and Katie laughing at her desk. Castle chuckled to himself.

"But now, Rick. What's holding you back? What are you waiting for? Another guy to come and sweep her off her feet. She cares about you, Rick…a lot….but that doesn't mean she's gonna sit around another three years waiting for you to make your next move. Rick, I have three words for you, 'Go get her.'" The Captain smiled. Rick nodded with a smile and turned back to look at Beckett once more before leaving the office.

A few minutes later…

"Hey," he said, walking towards Beckett.

"Hey," she replied, "What were you two talking about in there?"

Castle smiled warmly at her. Her brow furrowed slightly, but she smiled back at him.

"I just got a text from Gina saying she's gonna stop by in about two hours to pick Katie up."

"Alright then," Beckett began, "Katie it looks like we only have a little time left before you have to go."

"But I don't wanna go with Auntie Gina. I wanna stay here with you," Katie said innocently.

"Aw, sweetie," Beckett said, "You have to go with your Auntie Gina, she misses you a lot." Castle smiled at this. She was completely comfortable talking about his ex-wife in a positive light.

"But I promise you this. You can come and visit us anytime you want," she finished.

Castle's heart fluttered when she said _us_.

"Why don't I run out and bring us some lunch," Castle offered.

"That sounds good, babe. Thanks," Beckett replied. Did she just call him _babe_ at the precinct? She looked around to make sure no one heard.

Castle walked over to the elevator. Beckett leaned back in her chair, and Katie leaned back on Beckett. Beckett looked down at the little girl and smiled.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Castle was walking down the busy New York street. He had just gotten off the phone with Remy's. He was on his way over there now to pick up his order, but he had a stop to make first.

Castle turned and opened the door to a boutique. _Cartier_, to be more specific.

"Ahhh, Mr. Castle," a saleswoman said in her native French accent.

"What brings you here today?"

"Hello, Jacqueline. How are you?" Castle replied. He had been there many times to by little gifts for the many women in his life.

"I'm well and you?"

"I'm doing great actually," he smiled.

"So what can I help you with today?" she repeated, "A bracelet, a necklace, earrings perhaps?"

Castle chuckled, "Um, no. Actually, I'm here to buy a ring."

Jacqueline gasped. "Mr. Castle, are you finally going to marry that detective of yours?"

"Well it depends if she says 'yes,' but I'm sure hoping so," he laughed nervously.

"Well, we have a lovely selection of engagement rings. If you could please just follow me to them."

Castle followed her.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Castle walked back into the precinct, carrying two brown paper bags filled with their lunch.

"Oooo that smells yummy!" exclaimed Katie.

Beckett smiled and said, "Rick, let's go eat in the break room."

Beckett stood up and carried Katie on her hip.

Castle was staring at Beckett.

"Castle, what is it?" she asked.

In a delayed reaction, he replied, 'Oh..i- it's nothing,l-let's just go eat." They walked into the break room.

**A/N: So again, I hope you guys enjoyed this story! And don't forget, the next chapter I post to this story will just be a link to the sequel. Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	12. SEQUEL

Hey this is obviously not a new chapter. This is the link to the sequel called "Together At Last." Thanks so much for reading and reviewing this story! Enjoy!

.net/s/7094278/1/


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